Vat for leaching bark.



ND. 645,439. Patnted Mar.. I3, |900. J. B. THMS.

VAT FOR LEACHING BARK.

(Application med May 1, 1897, 'Renewed Jan. 1e, 1990.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(No Modei.)

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No. 645,439. f Patented Mar. I3, |900. J. B. THoMs.

VAT FOR LEACHING BARK. (Application led .May 1, 1897. Renewed Jan. 16, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNiTED STATES ATENT- @Erica JOHN B. Tiroirs, on KNoxvILLE, TENNESSEE.

VAT FOR LEACHING BARK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 645,439', dated March 13, 1900. Application tiled May' l, 1897. Renewed January 16, 1900. Serial No.'1,686. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern,.- Y

Be it known that I,A JOHN B. THOMS, a citi- Zen of the United States,residin g at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a certain new and useful Vat for Leachin g Bark, of which the following is a specitication.

My invention relates to a vat for leaching bark, and it may be used -for tiltering sugar, as will be hereinafter described.

Heretofore in the vats and processes generally used for leaching bark there has been a great waste of the bark, owing to the poor circulation of the liquid through the bark in the vat, as well as theimeans for drawing o the liquid. The object of my invention is to overcome these objections, to prevent the waste of the bark, and to obtain a larger percentage of the tanning properties from the bark and also a heavier liquid, which is very desirable in tanning. I accomplish this by providinga central draw-o pipe and a surrounding annular series of draw-oft' pipes, seven in number, which extend from a common central discharge-pipe and have inlets which are evenly distributed throughout the chamber in the baseof the vat, so that the same amount of liquid will be drawn olii' from each of these inlets, and in order to obtain the best results I have the draw-oft pipes all of the same diameter or capacity and their combined areas in cross-section equal to the area in cross-section of the single discharge-pipe with which they communicate.. I have also discovered in practice that to obtain a perfect circula-v tion the bark should always be covered, so as to hold it in suspension and prevent the bark becoming packed, and the space or chamber beneath the bark, with which the draw-oft pipes are connected, should always be kept filled.

My invention consists of a suitable vat of any desired dimensions, provided with a perforated false bottom, which is covered with bagging to prevent the finely-ground bark getting in the space between it and the bottom of the vat, and a central draw-off pipe and a surrounding annular series of draw-off pipes of the same diameter and combined area equal to the area of the single discharge-pipe with which they communicate, and having their indetails of construction that will beherein after more fully described and specifically claimed. Y

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical axial section taken on the line l l, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing one form or arrangement of parts in a vat constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing another or modified form ofthe invention. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. l, lookingin the direction of the arrows. the line 4 4, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. A Inv the said drawings, 1 represents a vat, which may be of any size, 2 the bottom thereof, and 3 av perforated false bottom, which is arranged within the vat so as to form the space or chamber 4 between it and the bottom 3 of the vat. The vat, as usual, above the perforatedl false bottom is lled with tanbark. To prevent this getting into the space or cham ber 4,I provide a covering 5, of bagging, straw, or other material, on the false bottom.

6 represents an outlet or discharge pipe for conducting away the liquid obtained from the bark, and iitted to one end of this pipe are a central draw-oft pipe 7 and a surrounding annular series of branch or draw-o pipes, having their inlets 7a communicating with the space or chamber 4. These inlets of the pipes are evenly distributed in the chamber or space and they are all of the same diameter, so as to prevent any uneven discharge from the space or chamber, and thus maintain an even circulation throughout the vat, and their combined areas in cross-section is equal in capacity to the area in cross-section of the outlet or discharge pipe 6. Several of the branch pipes are provided with the crosscouplings 8, as shown, and two of the ends are closed or stopped by the plugs 9, which ar- Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on IOO rangement allows of a wire to be run through them to remove obstructions and' to prevent their being clogged. In order to llush the pipe occasionally, I provide the water-pi pe 10, which is connected with the outlet-pipe 6, and 1l represents a draw-ott' or waste-water cock on one side of the vat to allow the washings to run away to the sewer.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen thatIhave entered the inlets of the draw-oit pipes into the space or chamber between the bottoms through the bottom ot' the vat, and in Fig. 2 through the bark and false bottom. This latter form is' the tendency of the water is to channel as it passes through the iinely-ground bark it' drawn ott too rapidly, and with this arrange- 'ment this is prevented.

In practice the vat is constantly kept filled with Water to the extent shown in the drawings. This will hold the bark in suspension and will prevent the bark from packing, so that the liquid can easily percolate through the bark andkcep the space or chamber between the bottoms filled, so that there will be no possible chance of any uneven circulation through the vat, which, as has been above stated, is essential to obtain the most desirable results in leaching. This latter fact is preserved in the drawing oft of the liquid, for the inlet of the draw-ott' pipes are of the same diameter and their combined areas in crosssection is equal in capacity to the area in cross -section ot' the single discharge pipe, from which it will be seen that there can be no uneven discharge from any point in the vat. The vertical inlets 7 have their inner ends located above the bottom of the vat, so as to prevent the settlings going oft with the liquor.

My device is also particularly advantawith the vat a base-chamber for the resultant liquid and a body-chamber in which the bark is immersed in liquid and held in suspension, the discharge-pipe, and the draw-oft pipes provided with cross-couplings for cleaning purposes and connected with the dischargepipe, having their inlets evenly distributed throughout the base-chamberand their combined areasin cross-section equal in capacity to the area in cross-section of the dischargepipe; substantially as described.

2. The combination of a vat having aperforated false bottom providing in connection with the vat abase-chamber for the resultant liquid and a body-chamber in which the bark is immersed in liquid and held in suspension, the discharge-pipe extending into the bodychamber and the pendent draw-off pipes connected with the discharge-pipe and extending through the false bottom having their inlets evenly distributed throughout the basechamber and their combined areas in crosssection equal in capacity to the area in crosssection ot' the discharge-pipe; substantially as described.

JOHN B. THOMS. Witnesses:

L. F. WYNN,

F. H. HENDERSON. 

